Railway-rail joint



(No Model.)

' J. G. LEPLER 8a A. SWIVEL.

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

No. 322,300( k I Patented July 14,1885.

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PETERS, mLimw m mr, Washington. 0 c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JOHN o. LEFLER AND Annnnwswivnn, or DES MoiNEs, IOWA.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 322,300, dated July 14, 1885.

A pplicaiion filed April 11, 1884. no model.)

To all whom it may concern:

of rails by means of a chair and two wedges in such a manner that the one wedge will be pressed laterally against the webs of the rails, and also vertically against the under sides of I the balls of the rails as the other wedge is moved longitudinally.

heretofore wedges have been placed between the jaw or vertical flange of a chair and the webs of the rails in such a manner that they could be moved longitudinally to press laterally but not vertically, at the same time to press against the under sides of the balls of the rails,as required,to maintain continuity of track by compensating for wear and keeping the top surfaces of the ends of the rails level. v

Figure 1 of our accompanying drawings is a top view of our complete joint. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of our improved chair. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a pair of wedges and our wedge-fastening device. Fig. 4. is a top View, showing a modified form of our chair. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 through the dotted line shown in that figure.

Jointly considered, these figures illustrate the construction, application, and operation of our complete invention.

A represents a chair of common form, excepting that it is provided with a shoulder or raised portion, B, that extends its entire length, and in combination with the flanges of the abutting ends of the rails forms a base and support for an adjustable wedge, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. It is also provided on its top surface and longitudinal center with a lug, O, on each side, that extends inward to enter corresponding notches formed in the ends and corners of the flanges of the rails that enter the chair for the purpose of restricting the longitudinal movement of each rail relativeto the chair, so that neither one of the rails can advance past the center of the chair, or the continuous track creep. relative to the chairs and ties to which the chair may be fixed by means of spikes, or in any suitable way.

Projections may be formed on the sides to en gage spikes in the ties.

.D is a wedge-shaped block,fitted against the webs of the rails in such a mannerthat itwill the purposeof pressing the wedge D laterally and also vertically, and clamping all the parts rigidly together.

G is a screw-threaded extension on the small end of the wedge F. H is a washer upon the screw G. J is a nut on the end of the same screw.

By placing the ends of two rails in the chair, and the block D and wedge F in position, as shown in Fig.1, thewasher Hwill rest against the ends of the block and the flange A of the chair,and bythen simply operating anut, J by means of awrench,the wedges can be drawntoward the washer, and all the parts firmly keyed together, as required, to retain the abutting ends of two rails leveland in line. By removing the nut the clamping force is relaxed and all the parts can be separated.

By notching the contiguous side faces of the block D and wedge F, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3, a key may be inserted to lock them together.

Horizontal perforationsin the flange and end of the wedge allow ascrew to be inserted to lock them together.

From the description of the construction and function of each part, the practical application, operation, and utility of our complete invention will be obvious to all persons familiar with railroads.

We claim as our invention 2. The improved railway-rail joint com- 1. A railway-chair having a shoulder, B, a posed of the chair AB, the block D, the Wedge block, D, having a longitudinal and also a F, having a screw-threaded end, G, the Washer transverse taper, and a Wedge, F, having a H, the nut J, and two rails, substantially as 5 longitudinal and also a transverse taper, arshown and described.

ranged and combined, relative to each other JOHN G. LEFLER. and the ends of two rails having flanges at ANDREW SWIVEL. their bottoms and balls at their tops, to oper- WVitnesses: ate in the manner set forth, for the purposes THOMAS G. ORWIG,

10 stated. J. M. ST. JOHN. 

